Quick release connector

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to an improved sports helmet including a quick release connector assembly for the faceguard that allows for rapid disconnection of the faceguard from the helmet shell. The connector includes a bracket, and a coupler mechanism featuring an elongated pin, a head component, a spring, a retractable engaging element and a washer. The connector assembly is moveable between a use position, wherein the faceguard is secured to the shell by the bracket and the coupler mechanism, and a released position wherein the bracket and the faceguard are disconnected from the shell. An inwardly directed actuation force that lacks a rotational component is applied to the elongated pin to move from the use position to the released position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/082,920, filed on Apr. 15, 2008, to be issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,813,269 on Aug. 26, 2014, which claims the benefit of ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/923,603, filed Apr. 16, 2007, whichapplications are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference andmade a part hereof.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

N/A

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a protective helmet, namely for contact sports,having a faceguard and a quick release connector that allows for rapiddisconnection of the faceguard from the helmet shell by the applicationof an inwardly directed force, without rotation of the object applyingthe force. The helmet also includes an adjustable pad assembly featuringa pad member that is brought into contact with an extent of the wearer'shead by an inflatable bladder residing between the helmet and the padmember.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Helmets for contact sports, such as those used in football, hockey andlacrosse, typically include a shell, a faceguard or face mask, and achin protector or strap that removably secures the helmet on thewearer's head. The faceguard is rigidly secured to the shell by aplurality of connectors, whereby the faceguard can sustain a number ofimpacts during the course of play while remaining connected to theshell. Most faceguards include a plurality of intersecting and/oroverlapping bars that form openings through which the wearer views thefield of play.

One existing faceguard connector is a plastic U-shaped strap member thathas a receiver portion that encircles a bar of the faceguard. This strapconnector includes a tab portion, wherein a threaded fastener, such as ascrew, extends through the tab portion and into the shell to secure theconnector and the faceguard to the helmet. Typically, these U-shapedstrap connectors are found above the brow region of the shell and alongeach ear flap to join the faceguard to the shell. A second existingfaceguard connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,934,971, which isowned by Riddell Inc., the assignee of the present application. Thatconnector, marketed under the Isolator System brand name, includes anut, a bushing, a grommet, a rectangular bracket and a threaded fastener(screw). The bracket includes a first channel that receives a first barof the faceguard and a second channel that receives a second bar,wherein the faceguard bars are positioned between the shell and thebracket. The fastener extends through the bracket and the shell and isreceived by the nut (residing within the shell) to couple the faceguardto the shell. The threaded fastener is employed to secure the connectorto the shell and as a result, a rotational force is applied to tightenfor securement and loosen the fastener to permit removal of the bracketand faceguard. While such conventional faceguard connectors provide anumber of benefits, they nevertheless have certain limitations. Forexample, adjusting and/or removing the faceguard from the shell can bedifficult and time consuming. Because a threaded fastener is utilized,rotation of a flat-blade or Phillips screwdriver is required to loosenthe fastener to allow for removal of the bracket and the faceguard. Inthe event a player is injured and/or requires immediate medicalattention, the training staff or coaches must undertake the timeconsuming process of unscrewing the fastener to remove the connector andfaceguard in order to gain access to the player's facial area.

Conventional sports helmets include an internal pad assembly that isdesigned to absorb impacts to the helmet. The internal pad assemblyincludes a number of pad elements which may be formed from absorbentfoam, air, gel or a combination thereof Air can be utilized as aninflation fluid to adjust the dimensions of the pad element. An exampleof an inflatable pad assembly of this type is found in U.S. Pat. No.5,175,889. This type of pad assembly is affixed to the inner surface ofthe shell and does not fully accommodate the anatomical distinctionsamong various wearer's heads. Another internal pad assembly thatutilizes an inflatable bladder positioned between the shell and the padelements is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,365 to Schulz. There, abladder 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) is formed from four elongated cells 32a-d and is secured to the inner surface of the shell 20 by Velcro® 38a-d. A padding assembly 50 includes four pad segments or fingers 52 a-bthat are fastened to a corresponding bladder cell 32 a-d by Velcro® 34a-b. Thus, the pad fingers 52 a-b are secured in place and cannot pivotwhen the bladder 30 is inflated. Also, the pad fingers 52 a-b are spaceda distance apart and do not form a continuous rear padding element thatcradles the base of the skull. Because the bladder 30 extends betweenthe lower rear octant and the upper front octant, Schulz states that“the helmet is elevated from the head by pressure applied by the bladderat the upper octants' of the wearer's head.” While the pad fingers 52a-b of the padding assembly 50 are moveable by operation of the bladder30, the range of movement is limited by the fact that the lower regionsof the padding assembly 50 are coupled to the bladder 30, which iscoupled to the inner surface of the helmet shell 20. These structuralaspects limit the ability of Schulz's padding assembly 50 to adapt tothe anatomical distinctions among various wearers' heads.

The present invention is provided to solve these limitations and toprovide advantages and aspects not provided by conventional sportshelmets. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the presentinvention is deferred to the following detailed description, whichproceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a helmet that includes a protectiveshell, a faceguard or face mask, and a faceguard connector assembly thatcouples the faceguard to the shell and that allows for quick-release ofthe faceguard.

According to another aspect of the invention, the connector assembly ofthe helmet includes a bracket and a releasable coupler mechanism thatprovides for rapid attachment and rapid detachment of the bracket andthe faceguard to the shell. The coupler mechanism includes the followingcomponents: a head, a sleeve body, a pin, a spring and a washer. The pinand the sleeve extend through an opening in the bracket and an openingin the shell. In a use position, the faceguard is secured to the helmetshell by the connector assembly. The connector assembly is retained inthe use position by the engagement between the pin and the washer, thelatter of which resides within the helmet shell. To move the connectorassembly from the use position, an inwardly directed actuation force isapplied to the pin whereby the head, the pin and the sleeve aredisconnected from the washer. Once these components are disconnected,the bracket can be detached which allows for rapid removal of thefaceguard from the helmet.

According to another aspect of the invention, the helmet also includesan internal padding assembly comprised of a plurality of stationary padmembers and at least one adjustable pad assembly. The adjustable padassembly includes an inflatable bladder and a pad member, wherein thebladder resides between the shell and the rear pad member. The padmember further includes a housing and a pad element enclosed within thehousing, wherein the pad element is formed from an injection moldingprocess that provides a unitary pad element. The pad member is broughtinto contact with a portion of the wearer's head by inflation of thebladder. Thus, the adjustable pad assembly is moveable between acollapsed position and an inflated position, wherein the pad member isangled to engage and cradle a portion of the wearer's head.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification taken in conjunction with the followingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a protective helmet of the present invention,showing the helmet having a faceguard, a faceguard connector assemblyand an internal adjustable padding assembly, collectively in anassembled position;

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the helmet, showing the connector assemblysecuring the faceguard to the helmet shell in the assembled position;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the helmet shell, the faceguard and theconnector assembly;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section of the helmet taken along line 4-4 ofFIG. 2, showing the assembled position;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-section of the helmet, showing the applicationof an actuation force in an intermediate position;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-section of the helmet, showing a disassembledposition of the connector assembly and the faceguard;

FIG. 7 is a partial view of the helmet, showing another embodiment ofthe connector assembly securing the faceguard to the helmet shell in theassembled position;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the helmet, showing an internaladjustable padding assembly in a collapsed position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the helmet, showing the inflatablepadding assembly in an inflated position;

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a pad member of the adjustablepadding assembly;

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the pad member of the adjustablepadding assembly; and,

FIG. 13 is a side perspective view of the pad member of the adjustablepadding assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broadaspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

FIGS. 1-11 show a protective helmet 10 of the present invention.Although shown as a football helmet, the helmet 10 may be one suitablefor use in other sports requiring head protection, such as hockey orlacrosse. In addition, the helmet 10 may be configured for otherapplications, such as a military helmet having ballistic protectionproperties. The helmet 10 includes a protective shell 15, a faceguard orface mask 20, and a faceguard connector assembly 25 that couples thefaceguard 20 to the shell 15. In FIGS. 1-2, the faceguard 20 includestwo vertical members or bars 21 that are secured by the connectorassembly 25 against an outer surface of the shell 15. The connectorassembly 25 includes a bracket 30 with at least one channel 31, whereinthe channel 31 receives a bar 21 of the faceguard 20. In one embodiment,the bracket 30 includes two channels 31 that correspond with the twobars 21 of the faceguard 20. The bracket 30 has a central portion 32with an opening 33 extending there through and peripheral portions 34,wherein each portion 34 has a channel 31. In another embodiment, thebracket 30 includes a single channel 31 that receives a single bar 21 ofthe faceguard 20 for coupling to the shell 15. In yet anotherembodiment, the bracket 30 has channels 31 that are angularly oriented,such as substantially perpendicular. The central portion 32 of thebracket 30 has a curvilinear top wall 32 a and a curvilinear bottom wall32 b, wherein the width of the central portion 32 is reduced as the topand bottom walls 32 a,b approach the channels 31. Described in adifferent manner, the thickness of the bracket 30 is reduced in theregion where the top and bottom walls 32 a,b converge upon thechannel(s) 31. The bracket 30 also includes peripheral end portions 36about the central portion 32, wherein the end portion 36 preferably hasa curvilinear end wall 37. Due to the curvilinear top and bottom walls32 a,b, a recess 32 c is formed between the periphery of the respectivetop and bottom walls 32 a,b and the end portion 36. The connectorassembly 25 also includes an energy absorbing element, such as grommet90, positioned between the faceguard 20 and the shell 15. Referring toFIG. 3, the grommet 90 has a circumferential channel 91 that enables thegrommet 90 to reside within the shell opening 16.

The connector assembly 25 further includes a releasable couplermechanism 35 that provides for rapid attachment and detachment of thebracket 30 and the faceguard 20 from the shell 15 without the deliberateand time-consuming use of a screwdriver (or cutting tool for removal).The releasable coupler mechanism 35 extends through the opening 33 inthe bracket 30, the grommet 90 and the shell opening 16. As explainedbelow, the team training staff can easily actuate the releasable coupler35 to quickly remove the bracket 30 and pivot the faceguard 20 toprovide access to the player's facial area. As shown in FIGS. 1-6, thecoupler mechanism 35 includes the following components: a head 40, asubstantially cylindrical sleeve body 50, an elongated actuator or pin60, a washer 70 and a spring 80. The head component 40 has a bulbousouter portion 41 with a flange 42, a stem 43 and a central bore 44. Thesleeve body 50 has a cylindrical first segment 51 that resides withinthe stem 43, and a cylindrical second segment 52 that partially resideswithin the stem 43 and the washer 70. The second segment 52 has at leastone opening 53 that receives a retractable engaging element, such asretractable ball 54 or a retractable pin. Preferably, the second segment52 has a pair of opposed openings 53 that each receive a retractableball 54, whereby the balls 54 are angularly oriented 180 degrees apart.Alternatively, the second segment 52 has a greater number of engagingelements - -such as three balls 54 oriented 120 degrees apart, or fourballs 54 oriented 90 degrees apart. The pin 60 has a button portion 61that is accessible via the central bore 44 extending through the head40. The pin 60 also includes a main body portion 62, a groove 63 thatoperably receives the ball 54, a ring 64 with an increased diameter thatretains the pin 60 within the sleeve 50, and a distal end portion 65.Depending upon whether the pin 60 is released or depressed, the ball 54slidingly engages the distal end portion 65 and/or the groove 63.Preferably, the groove 63 has an angled or sloped circumferential wall63 a leading to the distal end portion 65, whereby the wall 63 afacilitates movement of the ball 54 into and out of the groove 63. Thewasher 70 includes a main body portion 71 that extends through the shellopening 16, a flange 72 extending from the main body 71 and a centralopening 73. As shown in FIG. 6, the central opening 73 is defined by aninternal wall arrangement 74 that includes a first wall segment 75, asecond wall segment 76, and a retaining structure, preferably notch 77,separating the first and second wall segments 75, 76. Due to the notch77, the diameter of the first wall segment 75 is less than that of thesecond wall segment 76.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 show the connector assembly 25 securing the faceguard20 against the helmet shell 15 to define a use position P_(U). In theuse position P_(U), the two bars 21 of the faceguard 20 reside betweenthe bracket 30 and the outer surface 17 of the shell 15 to secure thefaceguard 20 to the shell 15. In the bracket 30 configuration of theseFigures, two vertical bars 21 are secured against the shell 15 by thebracket 30. However, the bracket 30 can be configured such that twohorizontal bars 22 (see FIG. 2) are secured against the shell 15 by thebracket 30. In the use position P_(U), the bracket channels 31 areoriented perpendicular to the coupler mechanism 35. Referring to FIGS. 3and 4, the longitudinal axis A-A of the bracket channels 31 issubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis B-B of the couplermechanism 35, as provided by the pin 60.

In the use position P_(U), the elongated actuating pin 60 extendsthrough a substantial extent of the head 40, the sleeve body 50 and thewasher 70. The head 40 resides within the recess 32 d of the centralportion 32 and the pin button 61 is accessible such that it can bedepressed to allow the head 40, the bracket 30 and the faceguard 20 tobe disconnected from the washer 70 and the shell 15. Preferably, the pinbutton 61 is recessed a small amount from the outer surface of the head40 such that the pin 60 is not inadvertently actuated during the courseof play. The ring 64 of the pin 60 is longitudinally positioned adistance from the outer edge of the first segment 51 of the sleeve 50such that a gap G is formed there between. As explained below, the gap Gprovides clearance for movement of the pin 60 and is reduced as the pin60 is actuated. The spring 80 receives an extent of the pin 60 andresides within the sleeve 50, namely against the notch between the firstand second segments 51, 52. In the use position P_(U), the spring 80 isnot compressed and does not exert a force upon the pin 60. The washer 70resides between an inner surface 18 of the shell 15 (or the grommet 90)and the internal padding assembly 100 and is retained there between whenthe bracket 30 and the coupler mechanism 35 are disconnected. Dependingupon its length, the main body flange portion 71 extends through theshell opening 17 to adjoin the internal end of the flange 40.

The connector assembly 25 is retained in the use position P_(U) by theengagement between the ball 54, the retaining notch 77 and the distalend segment 65 of the pin 60. The ball 54 is positioned against thenotch 77 and inward movement of the ball 54 is prevented by the endsegment 65. While inward movement of the ball 54 is precluded by the endsegment 65, outward movement of the ball 54 is precluded by the secondwall segment 76. Due to the position of the pin 60, the groove 63 ismisaligned with the ball 54. The spring 80 is selected with a springconstant (k) sufficient to prevent unintended movement of the pin 60.The interaction of these components prevents disconnection of theconnector assembly 25 until the button 61 is actuated. The dual natureof the interaction between the spring 80 and the pin 60, and the ball54, the end segment 65 and the retaining notch 77 causes the couplermechanism 35 to be in tension to maintain the use position P_(U).

To move the connector assembly 25 from the use position P_(U) through aintermediate position P_(I) to a disconnected position P_(D) (see FIG.6), an inwardly directed actuation force F (see FIG. 5) is applied tothe pin 60 by an object O. In the intermediate position P_(I) of FIG. 5,the actuation force F displaces the pin 60 within the sleeve 50 andtowards the washer 70 such that the groove 63 aligns with the ball 54 topermit movement of the ball 54 into the groove 63. When the distal endsegment 65 no longer engages the ball 54, the ball 54 moves into thegroove 63. This movement is facilitated by the sloped circumferentialwall 63 a that slidingly engages the ball 54. The displacement of thepin 60 towards the washer 70 eliminates the gap G (between the pin ring64 and the first sleeve segment 51) and compresses the spring 80. Themovement of the ball 54 into the groove 63 disengages the ball 54 fromthe washer notch 77 which enables the majority of the coupler mechanism35 - - the sleeve 50, pin 60, head 40 and spring 80 - - to bedisconnected from the washer 70 by the application of an outwardlydirected removal force (not shown) typically applied by an operator.While movement of the pin 60 and the balls 54 is occurring, the head 40,the sleeve 50 and the washer 70 remain substantially stable. When theball 54 is received by the groove 63, the ball 54 no longer engages thenotch 77 and obstructs removal of the coupler 35 from the washer 70.Once these components are disconnected, the bracket 30 can be removed toallow for removal of the faceguard 20 to arrive at the disconnectedposition P_(D) of FIG. 6.

If the actuation force F is released from the pin 60 in the intermediateposition P_(I) prior to removal of the bracket 30, the compressed spring80 exerts an outwardly directed force (opposite the actuation force F)on the pin 60 causing it to slide within the sleeve 50 towards the head40 such that the ball 54 is forced from the groove 63 and along theangled wall 63 a to reside against the distal end 65 of the pin 60. Inthe event only two connector assemblies 25 are utilized, such as oneconnector assembly 25 on each ear flap of the shell 15, thedisconnection of the bracket 30 allows the faceguard 20 to be pivotedabout the two conventional connectors residing along the brow region ofthe helmet 10. In another configuration employing only connectorassemblies 25 to secure the faceguard 20 - - with one connector assembly25 at each ear flap of the shell 15 and at least one connector assembly25 at the brow region of the shell 15 - - the actuation force F allowsfor the complete and rapid removal of the faceguard 20, not justpivoting of the faceguard 20.

The actuation force F is applied substantially perpendicular or normalto the outer surface of the helmet shell 15, the head 40 and/or thebracket 30, and can be applied by a coach, a member of the trainingstaff, or another player. Assuming the helmet 10 has a longitudinal axisextending vertically through the shell 15, the actuation force F isapplied substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Describedin a different manner, the actuation force F is applied substantiallyperpendicular to a faceguard interface area, which is defined as thearea of the faceguard bars 21 that interact with the bracket 30.Depending upon the configuration of the pin 60 and the head 40, theobject O that applies the actuation force F can be a pointed probe, asmall key or a pen. Unlike conventional faceguard connectors that employa threaded fastener (or screw) which requires rotation for loosening andremoval, the actuation force F does not include a rotational component.Thus, the actuation force F lacks the time-consuming rotationalcomponent and provides a more efficient disconnection process.

To attach the connector assembly 25 and secure the faceguard 20 to thehelmet 10, an operator aligns the bracket 30 and the faceguard 20 andthen inserts the coupler mechanism 35 through the bracket 30 forreception with the washer 70 residing between the padding assembly 100,the grommet 90 and the shell 15. Next, the operator applies the inwardlydirected actuation force F in the manner described above, whereby theball(s) 54 retracts into the groove 63 to allow for further insertion ofthe sleeve 50 into the washer 70. Once the sleeve 50 has beensufficiently inserted into the washer 70, the actuation force F isreleased whereby the retracted ball 54 is deployed from the groove 63into engagement with the retaining notch 77. As explained above, theinteraction between the ball 54, the notch 77 and the distal end segment65 of the pin 60 retain the connector assembly 25 in the use positionP_(U).

FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the connector assembly 225which includes a bracket 230 with a band or strap member 235 that wrapsaround the faceguard bar 21. Described differently, the band 235 forms areceiver 237 that encircles the bar 21. This is contrary to the U-shapedchannels 31 of the bracket 30 that receive the bar 21, but do notencircle it. Therefore, the bracket 230 includes a single, encirclingpoint for the faceguard 20, not the two receiving points provided by thechannels 31 of the bracket 30. The band 235 further includes aperipheral flange 240 and a tab portion 245 with an opening 250 thatreceives the coupler assembly 35. The tab 245 may include an angled tip255 that conforms to the shape of the helmet 10. Preferably, the bracket230 has a “clam-shell” design such that it opens about a hinged flange240 to receive the faceguard bar 21. Due to the clam shellconfiguration, the bracket 230 has an upper half 231 and a lower half232 that meet at a seam leading to the receiver 237.

Referring to FIGS. 9-13, the protective helmet 10 also includes aninternal padding assembly 100 comprised of a plurality of stationary padmembers 105 and at least one adjustable pad assembly 110. The stationarypad members 105 are removably connected to the inner surface 18 of theshell 15 and may include jaw pads 106, crown pads 107, ear flap pads108, and front pad 109. The helmet 10 may also include a rear trim piece111 that wraps around the lower edge of the shell 15. The adjustable padassembly 110 includes an inflatable member or bladder 115 and anadjustable pad member 125, preferably a rear pad member 125, wherein thebladder 115 resides between the shell 15 and the rear pad member 125.The trim piece 111 can be configured to provide support to the rear padmember 125 through the range of adjustability. As explained in detailbelow, the rear pad member 125 is brought into contact with a rearportion of the wearer's head by the bladder 115. Thus, the adjustablepad assembly 110 is moveable between a collapsed position P_(C), and aninflated position P_(I) wherein the rear pad member 120 is angled toengage the base of the wearer's head (proximate the brain's occipitallobe and the cerebellum). Although existing sports helmets includeinflatable pad members that can, to some extent, compensate foranatomical variances in the wearer's head 40, the inventive adjustablepad assembly 110 features a pad member 125 that engages and cradles thebase of the wearer's head to reduce the likelihood of the helmet 10rotating forward from an impact. While shown as having a singleadjustable pad assembly 110, the helmet 10 may have a number ofadjustable pad assemblies 110 that reduce the likelihood of helmet 10rotation. For example, the helmet 10 can have an adjustable front andrear pad assemblies 110.

As shown in FIGS. 11-13, the rear pad member 125 has a central portion126, a first lateral portion or lobe 127, a second lateral portion orlobe 128 and an upper portion or lobe 129. The first, second and upperlobes 127, 128, 129 extend outward from the central portion 126. Thecentral portion 126 also includes at least one opening 133 that canreceive a product label or identifier. Preferably, the pad member 125has a recessed configuration resulting in curvilinear inner and outersurfaces 130, 131, and a curvilinear lower edge 132. Referring to FIG.12, the pad member 125 is symmetric about a vertical axis C-C. The padmember 125 further includes a housing 125 a, preferably formed fromvinyl, and a pad element 134 enclosed within the housing 133. In apreferred embodiment and in contrast to conventional helmet padding, thepad element 134 is formed from an injection molding process thatprovides a unitary pad element with a number of benefits, includingincreased design freedom with respect to the pad element configuration,reduced weight, increased durability, and increased structural rigidity.Alternatively, the pad member 125 includes a number of discrete moldedpad elements that interact and form an assembly within the housing 133.In another embodiment, the pad element 134 has a multi-layerconstruction, for example, an open-cell layer adjoining a closed-celllayer. The pad member 125 includes means for securing 135 the pad member125 to either the shell 15 or the bladder 115. The securing means 135can be an elongated fastener, such as a rivet, hook and pile materials(Velcro®), or a resilient adhesive, such as tape or heat activated glue.In conjunction with the bladder 115, the securing means 135 allows forpivotal movement of the pad member 125 between the collapsed positionP_(C) and the inflated position P_(I).

The bladder 115 is an inflatable reservoir that is affixed to the innersurface 18 of the shell 15 behind the rear pad member 125. The bladder115 includes a casing 116 and an internal fluid reservoir 117. Thebladder 115 is in fluid communication with an inflation valve 140 thatpreferably extends through the shell 15, or is integrated with thebladder 115. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the bladder 115 has acurvilinear configuration that substantially corresponds to the radiusof curvature of both the shell 15 and the pad member 125. Onceinstalled, a first surface 118 of the bladder 115 engages the pad member125 and a second surface 119 engages the inner surface 18 of the shell15. Preferably, the bladder 115 has an arc length that is less than thearc length of the pad member 125, wherein the bladder 115 does not makecontact with the first and second lateral lobes 127, 128 of the padmember 125.

As mentioned above, the pad member 125 and the bladder 115 interact asthe adjustable pad assembly 110 is moved between the collapsed positionP_(C) and the inflated position P_(I). In the collapsed position P_(C),the bladder 115 is substantially or completely deflated and the firstand second lateral lobes 127, 128 of the pad member 125 are positionedproximate to the inner surface 18 of the shell 15, which results in onlya minimal gap G between the bladder 115 and the pad member 125.Depending upon the anatomical aspects of the wearer's head, the padmember 125 may engage the base of the wearer's head. To reach theinflated position P_(I), an inflation fluid, such as air or water, isdelivered through the valve assembly 140 to the bladder 115. As it isinflated, the bladder 115 causes the pad member 125 to be pivoted aboutthe securing means 135 and towards the central portion of the shell 15.In the inflated position P_(I), the bladder 115 engages the centralportion 126 of the pad member 125, however, there is a larger gap Gbetween the first and second lateral lobes 127, 128 and the shell 15.When the helmet 10 is worn by a player and the inflated position P_(I)is attained, the pad member 125 engages the base of the player's skullat the occipital lobe and cerebellum regions of the brain. Due to itscurvilinear configuration and the first and second lateral lobes 127,128, the pad member 125 cradles the player's head to reduce the chanceof the helmet 10 rotating from an impact. Although not shown, theadjustable pad assembly 110 can reach an intermediate or partiallyinflated position where the gap G is less than that shown in FIG. 10,however, the pad member 125 still engages the base of the player's skullas explained above. The intermediate position is particularly useful fora player having different anatomical head 40 characteristics.

While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described,numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing fromthe spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limitedby the scope of the accompanying Claims.

We claim:
 1. A sports helmet comprising: a shell; a faceguard; afaceguard connector assembly having a bracket and a releasable couplermechanism that extends through both the bracket and an opening in theshell to secure the faceguard to the shell in a use position, thereleasable coupler mechanism including: a washer having a main body thatextends substantially perpendicular from a flange of the washer, themain body having an opening and extending into and positioned within theshell opening in the use position; an elongated body that extendsthrough the bracket and the shell opening in the use position, andwherein an extent of the elongated body is received by the opening ofthe washer in the use position; and, a head operably connected to theelongated body and positioned within the bracket in the use position;and, wherein an actuation force is applied to the head to rapidly movethe releasable coupler mechanism from the use position to a disconnectedposition that allows for the rapid removal of the bracket from theshell.
 2. The sports helmet of claim 1, wherein the application of theactuation force does not result in rotation of the head.
 3. The sportshelmet of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body lacks threads.
 4. Thesports helmet of claim 1, wherein the washer lacks threads.
 5. Thesports helmet of claim 1, the elongated body having a first segment witha first diameter and a second segment with a second diameter, whereinthe first diameter is different than the second diameter.
 6. The sportshelmet of claim 1, the elongated body having a first segment with afirst diameter and a second segment with a second diameter, and thereleasable coupler mechanism further comprising a spring operablyconnected to a first segment of the elongated body.
 7. The sports helmetof claim 6, wherein the spring is retained by a notch formed between thefirst segment of the elongated body and the second segment of theelongated body.
 8. The sports helmet of claim 1, wherein the secondsegment of the elongated body has an end wall opening that spans adiameter of the second segment.
 9. The sports helmet of claim 1, whereinthe elongated body has a first segment and a second segment, the secondsegment having an engaging structure, wherein the washer has an internalengaging structure, and wherein the internal engaging structure of thewasher engages the engaging structure of the second segment to preventthe couple mechanism from moving from the use position to thedisconnected position without application of the actuation force. 10.The sports helmet of claim 9, the releasable coupler mechanism furthercomprising a spring operably connected to the elongated body, whereinthe spring exerts a biasing force on the coupler mechanism in the useposition to prevent disengagement of the internal engaging structure ofthe washer from the engaging structure of the second segment of theelongated body.
 11. The sports helmet of claim 1, the releasable couplermechanism further comprising a spring operably connected to theelongated body, wherein the spring exerts a biasing force on the head inthe use position and wherein the spring is compressed an extent when theactuation force is applied to the head to move the coupler mechanismfrom the use position.
 12. A quick release connector for securing afaceguard to a protective sports helmet, the connector comprising: abracket with an aperture and at least one channel configured to receivean extent of the faceguard; a releasable coupler mechanism that extendsthrough an opening in the helmet to secure the faceguard to the helmetin a use position, the releasable coupler mechanism including: a washerhaving a main body that extends substantially perpendicular from aflange of the washer, the main body having an opening and extending intoand positioned within the shell opening in the use position; anelongated body that extends through the bracket and the shell opening inthe use position, and wherein an extent of the elongated body isreceived by the opening of the washer in the use position; and, a headoperably connected to the elongated body and positioned within thebracket in the use position; and, wherein an actuation force is appliedto the head to rapidly move the releasable coupler mechanism from theuse position to a disconnected position that allows for the rapidremoval of the coupler mechanism to permit the faceguard to be displacedwith respect to the helmet.
 13. The quick release connector of claim 12,wherein the application of the actuation force does not result inrotation of the head.
 14. The quick release connector of claim 12,wherein the cylindrical body lacks threads.
 15. The quick releaseconnector of claim 12, wherein the washer lacks threads.
 16. The quickrelease connector of claim 12, the elongated body having a first segmentwith a first diameter and a second segment with a second diameter,wherein the first diameter is different than the second diameter. 17.The quick release connector of claim 12, the elongated body having afirst segment with a first diameter and a second segment with a seconddiameter, and the releasable coupler mechanism further comprising aspring operably connected to a first segment of the elongated body. 18.The quick release connector of claim 17, wherein the spring is retainedby a notch formed between the first segment of the elongated body andthe second segment of the elongated body.
 19. The quick releaseconnector of claim 12, wherein the second segment of the elongated bodyhas an end wall opening that spans a diameter of the second segment. 20.The quick release connector of claim 12, wherein the elongated body hasa first segment and a second segment, the second segment having anengaging structure, wherein the washer has an internal engagingstructure, and wherein the internal engaging structure of the washerengages the engaging structure of the second segment to prevent thecouple mechanism from moving from the use position to the disconnectedposition without application of the actuation force.
 21. The quickrelease connector of claim 20, the releasable coupler mechanism furthercomprising a spring operably connected to the elongated body, whereinthe spring exerts a biasing force on the coupler mechanism in the useposition to prevent disengagement of the internal engaging structure ofthe washer from the engaging structure of the second segment of theelongated body.
 22. The quick release connector of claim 12, thereleasable coupler mechanism further comprising a spring operablyconnected to the elongated body, wherein the spring exerts a biasingforce on the head in the use position and wherein the spring iscompressed an extent when the actuation force is applied to the head tomove the coupler mechanism from the use position.